Harlon Hill

The Sports Xchange Harlon Hill, famed NFL player, dies at 80 Harlon Hill, a legendary pro football player from Alabama and the namesake for the NCAA Division II player of the year award, died Thursday, according to WHNT-TV in Huntsville, Ala. He was 80. "We are truly saddened by the news of the passing of Harlon Hill," said Jeff Hodges, Chairman of the National Harlon Hill Award Committee and Assistant Athletic Director for Communications at...

BOURBONNAIS - It was a play near the end of practice Tuesday when Alshon Jeffery made it clear something was different. The Bears were in their red zone period, and Jay Cutler fired a high pass toward the back of the end zone. In another place and time, this would have been a throwaway, out of any receiver's reach. But here and now, it was a touchdown, play of the day. And Jeffery could not have gotten any higher if he were doing chin-ups on the crossbar. Perhaps new...

Harlon Hill, a legendary pro football player from Alabama and the namesake for the NCAA Division II player of the year award, died Thursday, according to WHNT-TV in Huntsville, Ala. He was 80. "We are truly saddened by the news of the passing of Harlon Hill," said Jeff Hodges, Chairman of the National Harlon Hill Award Committee and Assistant Athletic Director for Communications at the University of North Alabama. "He was a legend and an inspiration to so many. In our 27-year...

The Sports Xchange Harlon Hill, famed NFL player, dies at 80 Harlon Hill, a legendary pro football player from Alabama and the namesake for the NCAA Division II player of the year award, died Thursday, according to WHNT-TV in Huntsville, Ala. He was 80. "We are truly saddened by the news of the passing of Harlon Hill," said Jeff Hodges, Chairman of the National Harlon Hill Award Committee and Assistant Athletic Director for Communications at...

Wide receiver -Tennessee Height--6-0 -Weight--178 Born--9-5-60, Griffin, Ga. Acquisition--Second selection in the first round of the 1983 draft. 1985 season--Had a 99-yard kickoff return for a TD vs. Washington. . . . Had his best day in the NFL vs. Vikings (9-19) with 6 pass receptions for 146 yards and a TD. Pro career--Leading team in TD receptions (6) and yards per catch (17.3) in `84 . . . His 40 receptions in `83 were the most by a Bears` rookie since Harlon Hill caught...

Harlon Hill, a legendary pro football player from Alabama and the namesake for the NCAA Division II player of the year award, died Thursday, according to WHNT-TV in Huntsville, Ala. He was 80. "We are truly saddened by the news of the passing of Harlon Hill," said Jeff Hodges, Chairman of the National Harlon Hill Award Committee and Assistant Athletic Director for Communications at the University of North Alabama. "He was a legend and an inspiration to so many. In our 27-year...

Although I am the eternal optimist who has rooted for the Bears for a long time (Harlon Hill was one of my first heroes) but has rarely been rewarded, I am hoping like many that the Bears will go deep into the playoffs this season. I must admit, however, that I'm baffled by all the hype from people who only four months ago had the Bears at 4-12 or maybe 5-11. Now, with the No. 1 defense and Rex Grossman, you would think they're invincible. After all, they also have the defensive player of the...

Former Bears receiver Harlon Hill would run into a brick wall at Wrigley Field for owner-coach George Halas. Not because Hill adored his coach so much; it was because he often didn't have a choice. "Hell, no, (Halas) never did worry about that," Hill told us Friday from his home in Killen, Ala. "He'd say, 'Don't worry about running into walls and goal posts. Just play the football game.' " The Bears played at Wrigley for 50 years when the football field was configured north...

In his commentary in the April 9 Tribune, Rick Morrissey tells us, "Be very concerned when scouts begin talking about a player you've never heard of, a player they didn't know much about until the NFL combine." He then downgrades Brian Urlacher while hyping Plaxico Burress. As a person whom he purports to address through use of the pronoun "you," I have been aware of Urlacher's football skills for nearly a year and I expect and certainly hope that the Bears' awareness predates mine.

Although I am the eternal optimist who has rooted for the Bears for a long time (Harlon Hill was one of my first heroes) but has rarely been rewarded, I am hoping like many that the Bears will go deep into the playoffs this season. I must admit, however, that I'm baffled by all the hype from people who only four months ago had the Bears at 4-12 or maybe 5-11. Now, with the No. 1 defense and Rex Grossman, you would think they're invincible. After all, they also have the defensive player of the...

Former Bears receiver Harlon Hill would run into a brick wall at Wrigley Field for owner-coach George Halas. Not because Hill adored his coach so much; it was because he often didn't have a choice. "Hell, no, (Halas) never did worry about that," Hill told us Friday from his home in Killen, Ala. "He'd say, 'Don't worry about running into walls and goal posts. Just play the football game.' " The Bears played at Wrigley for 50 years when the football field was configured north...

Already, this is a very unusual Bears team. It employs receivers, plural, who actually have led the NFL in categories involving pass catching. Rookie Mark Bradley's 17 catches for 331 yards led the league during the exhibitions. This is meaningless outside of Chicago, where it is viewed as a possible omen of a budding 20th-Century offense. More importantly, they will begin their season with one Muhsin Muhammad on their payroll. When playing for the Carolina Panthers last season, Muhammad...

- Mouth that roared: You begin with this one: "He tosses nickels around like manhole covers." Mike Ditka said he stole that line, which he once used as a player, to describe George Halas' budgetary philosophy. The occasion has been lost in Bears' lore, but it's the best starting point for a look at how Mike never was at a loss for words in his 11 years as coach: - On his Pennsylvania hometown: "How tough was Aliquippa? Our definition of quick hands was a guy...

In his commentary in the April 9 Tribune, Rick Morrissey tells us, "Be very concerned when scouts begin talking about a player you've never heard of, a player they didn't know much about until the NFL combine." He then downgrades Brian Urlacher while hyping Plaxico Burress. As a person whom he purports to address through use of the pronoun "you," I have been aware of Urlacher's football skills for nearly a year and I expect and certainly hope that the Bears' awareness predates mine.

- Mouth that roared: You begin with this one: "He tosses nickels around like manhole covers." Mike Ditka said he stole that line, which he once used as a player, to describe George Halas' budgetary philosophy. The occasion has been lost in Bears' lore, but it's the best starting point for a look at how Mike never was at a loss for words in his 11 years as coach: - On his Pennsylvania hometown: "How tough was Aliquippa? Our definition of quick hands was a guy...

BOURBONNAIS - It was a play near the end of practice Tuesday when Alshon Jeffery made it clear something was different. The Bears were in their red zone period, and Jay Cutler fired a high pass toward the back of the end zone. In another place and time, this would have been a throwaway, out of any receiver's reach. But here and now, it was a touchdown, play of the day. And Jeffery could not have gotten any higher if he were doing chin-ups on the crossbar. Perhaps new...

Already, this is a very unusual Bears team. It employs receivers, plural, who actually have led the NFL in categories involving pass catching. Rookie Mark Bradley's 17 catches for 331 yards led the league during the exhibitions. This is meaningless outside of Chicago, where it is viewed as a possible omen of a budding 20th-Century offense. More importantly, they will begin their season with one Muhsin Muhammad on their payroll. When playing for the Carolina Panthers last season, Muhammad...

Wide receiver -Tennessee Height--6-0 -Weight--178 Born--9-5-60, Griffin, Ga. Acquisition--Second selection in the first round of the 1983 draft. 1985 season--Had a 99-yard kickoff return for a TD vs. Washington. . . . Had his best day in the NFL vs. Vikings (9-19) with 6 pass receptions for 146 yards and a TD. Pro career--Leading team in TD receptions (6) and yards per catch (17.3) in `84 . . . His 40 receptions in `83 were the most by a Bears` rookie since Harlon Hill caught...